Musk and Ramaswamy are sparking a debate over the H-1B visa. Here’s what to know about the visa.
Billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy may advise President-elect Donald Trump cut federal spending But they also gave him some advice about the American workforce, urging his next administration to bring in more foreign tech workers.
Musk and Ramaswamy’s views have sparked online debates among factions of Trump supporters over immigration and the tech industry, whose companies rely on H-1B visas to bring in thousands of workers from India, China and other countries each year. foreign engineers and other skilled workers.
The tech industry has long called for more H-1B visas to attract high-skilled workers to the U.S., despite the first Trump administration restriction procedure In 2020, it was argued that it allowed businesses to replace Americans with lower-paid foreign workers.
The controversy has flared up again after Musk himself once held an H-1B visa, as well as his electric car company Tesla. Employed workers Use the program to defend the need for foreign workers in the tech industry. As far as Ramaswamy is concerned, Wrote In an
On December 25, Musk wrote on his social media app
Here’s information about the debate and the H-1B visa.
How did the recent H-1B controversy begin?
The debate began this week when Laura Loomer right wing influencer Trump, who has a history of racist and conspiracy theory rhetoric, criticized Trump’s choice of Sriram Krishnan as an artificial intelligence policy adviser in the next administration. Krishnan favors ability to bring more skilled immigrants into U.S.
Loomer declared the stance “not an American policy priority” and said tech executives aligned with Trump did so to enrich themselves.
Loomer’s comments sparked a dispute with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks, whom Trump appointed “White House AI and cryptocurrency czar.” Trump has tasked Musk and Ramaswamy with finding ways to cut federal spending, and they have defended the need for the tech industry to bring in foreign workers.
It sparked a larger debate, with more far-right figures weighing in on the need to hire American workers, whether the values in American culture produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, and tech figures’ views on specific The new influence in Trump’s world and what his political movement represents.
Who is eligible for an H-1B visa?
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services explain The H-1B visa is for professionals who have “theoretical and practical application of a highly specialized body of knowledge” and hold a bachelor’s degree or higher in their field.
These professionals are also required to obtain temporary employment from a U.S. company that offers wages that are no less than the wages paid to similarly qualified workers or less than the prevailing wage in the geographic area where the person will work.
How many workers receive H-1B visas?
USCIS said the number of H-1B visas the US can issue each year is capped at 65,000 new visas, but an additional 20,000 visas can be issued for those with a master’s degree or higher. The visa is valid for three years but can be extended for a further three years.
However, every year the United States approves extensions for people already working on H-1B visas, including 2023 report Noted that the agency approved more than 309,000 requests for continued employment under the visa program.
What countries do H-1B recipients come from?
More than seven in 10 H-1B visa recipients come from India, followed by China with more than one in 10. The remaining H-1B visa holders come from a variety of countries, including Canada, South Korea, the Philippines, Mexico and Taiwan, according to USCIS Report.
What is the debate about H-1B visas?
Tech companies say the skilled worker H-1B visa, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, is critical for hard-to-fill positions.
But critics say they undermine the benefits of American citizens who can take these jobs. Some on the right are calling for the program to be scrapped rather than expanded.
Some surveys, including the 2017 Report CBS’s “60 Minutes” found that while many businesses used the program as intended, some took advantage of the visa program to replace American workers with lower-cost temporary foreign workers.
What does Donald Trump think about H-1B visas?
Trump has not yet commented on the disagreement, and his presidential transition team did not respond to messages seeking comment.
But Trump’s positions over the years have reflected the divisions within his movement. His hard-line immigration policies, including promises of mass deportations, were central to his winning presidential campaign.
He has focused on immigrants entering the United States illegally, but he has also sought to restrict legal immigration, including family-based visas.
As a 2016 presidential candidate, Trump called the H-1B visa program “terrible” and “unfair” to American workers. After becoming president, Trump issued a “Buy American, Hire American” executive order in 2017, directing Cabinet members to recommend changes to ensure that H-1B visas are awarded to the highest-paid or most skilled applicants. , to protect American workers.
In 2020, the Trump administration required employers to pay H-1B holders higher wages, a move they believed would prevent U.S. companies from turning to cheaper labor abroad.
contributed to this report.
